Image, or How I Learned to Get a Life
by Mademoiselle Anime Amour
Summary: Kairi is determined to prove that she isn't as clean-cut as everyone makes her out to be. But, through a series of events, she realizes that maybe, she doesn't need to change as drastically as she assumed. AkuKai. Rated T for language.


**A/N: This is either good or an epic fail. Depends on what you think. Sorry about language, I wanted to make something grittier than usual.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own KH.**

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**Image, or How I Learned to Get a Life**

I met him at a party. Not just any run-of-the-mill party, though, a full-fledged, crazy house party held at this kid's house. I think his name was Seifer or something like that. But, anyway, I was surprised that I'd even gotten invited to something as free, as wild, as..._unsupervised _as this. Fine by me, because I needed a bit of insanity in my life that wasn't all negative. Recently, my boyfriend Sora dumped me after six months, because "things weren't working out, we needed to see other people, blah-blah-blah." Definitely code for "I cheated on you" but whatever. Tonight was my time to shine, to break free from those crappy school restraints and let the real Kairi come out.

The real me despised school with a fiery passion that could have incinerated anything and everything in its path. Yet, school me was a total kiss-ass, on student council and everything. Even got my own parking space at school that way for even breathing there...or that's what it felt like. But, the fact of the matter is that no one in high school gives a damn about student council, because it's just rigged politics. Most people in my grade didn't feel the need to listen to the popular kids. Frankly, I didn't blame them, not like they would ever know. For all they knew, I was Miss Goody Two-Shoes, Ne-er Do Wrong, Never Smoked in My Life.

Another thing I hated about myself at school (wow, I could have punched School Kairi in the face) was that I got good grades. Let's face it, no one wanted to talk to someone who got good grades. In reality, the reason I got A's was number one: a strict mom and number two: photographic memory. If I had neither, I would have been a C+ student, _easy_. Maybe not. I wished, just so I could be so much more accessible to people. As of now, my grade insisted on kinda being clique-y still like immature middle-schoolers, so that my group was limited. This was my junior class as a whole, though, not individuals. All in all, it didn't make much difference to me. Popularity was a state of mind. I just knew the right people, that's all. But, I _needed _more friends. They thought I was sheltered, huh? Bull!

What I remembered especially and what made the fiery redhead angriest at my good girl image was one instance in freshman year. We had taken a quiz in homeroom about—well—goody goodness on how far we wished to get ahead in life. It was based on scoring from 0-30. I was among the five dorks who got in the 26-30 range.

See? That was why I absolutely had to change, to break out of this mold that I had been stranded in since sixth grade. At one point in high school, I asked myself where School Kairi ended and where Real Kairi began. This uncertainty ran my life for so long that I felt I hadn't acted myself around my closest friends. But, as far as I saw it, this particular party would be a fresh start for me, a clean slate.

Time to demolish School Kairi to make room for Real Kairi, who would prove that she was just as bad-ass if not more so than the other kids. So, like I said before, this party was at Seifer's house with his parents being out of town. Seemingly everybody hung out there for the evening, including me after I sneaked out. Sure, my strict mom would frown upon that, but my easygoing dad would be cool with it. Besides, I would only be there until 10 anyway, 10:30 at the latest. As an only child, heck with it, friends would be the only company worth having. Bravely entering this world of teenage wildness, I prepared to go crazy.

Once I came right into the house, it was like inhaling a breath of fresh air. Music played loudly in the background, coming from a DJ who happened to be Seifer's cousin. I saw many of my classmates there, chilling and talking to each other and whatnot. And when I said hi to some of these kids, it was like there was no such thing as school. They treated me like I was their equal for once, and I got into plenty of interesting conversations. Maybe also trading my expensive clothes for some ones bought at Hot Topic (because who says I had to go to Abercrombie all the time?) had something to do with it. Yeah, and some other people there drank out of beer cans that apparently some seniors who could pass off for 21 smuggled here. But, I wasn't that desperate to rebel.

Or maybe I was in other ways. Some of the junior grade still wasn't ready to accept me with open arms. Thing was, I had resigned from student council the other day (ah, a twist to my story!), had quit the debate team ages ago, and—shocker!—didn't show up to the baseball game last week. Couldn't they see I was ready to change, become someone more to my liking and more like myself? Basically jaded from hearing those suggestive, mean cat-calls from the guys and the chorus of "bitch" from some chicks, I wandered outside to the small backyard. There, some of Seifer's older cousin's friends stood, smoking their cigarettes defiantly. Honestly, these guys could have died the next day from their smokes, and they wouldn't have cared.

One of them especially caught my eye, and he was the handsomest out of all those other bums. His bright red hair looked disheveled and messy, as though he rolled out of bed every morning and decided to keep that look. There were purple triangle-shaped tattoos under his eyes, which accentuated the sharpness of them. And that was what struck me the most about him: his green eyes. I'm not sure if there is a sarcastic gleam to eyes like that or if there could be, but there certainly was to his. Though probably this reckless bad boy, he had an attitude that led to him having an amazing presence. God, it made me wonder how many girls he must have slept with...just by him staring at them.

Now, though I had that hunger, that ambition to switch up my image a little, I wasn't intent on becoming easy. I wanted to be who I really was behind closed doors, not some girl who kept quiet in class yet was tight with the popular crowd. I wouldn't sleep with this guy, since I did have my morals about pre-marital sex, actually. Slowly walking by them, I contemplated over if I should talk to that group or associate myself with them. To them, I must have looked like some shrimp of a kid...all except that one guy at least.

He was gazing at me, steadily, bright, gleaming, sarcastic green eyes locked onto mine without any intent of moving away. Raking back his long red hair, shaking his head, and tilting it to the side, he smirked at me. I assumed that it meant hi.

Though I found him incredibly attractive—really, I almost couldn't resist right then and there—I thought about moving right on past him. I was cautious about him, keeping my guard around him by being emotionless. Not to mention that break-up with Sora was none too pleasant, so moving on at this point would suck. No rebounds for me, thanks. So, I could ask myself what had been put into my head when I walked right up to them. Clearing my throat, I said hi to them more shyly than I would have liked. What got into me?

One of the guys punched the redhead's arm. "Look what we got ourselves here, dudes? Jailbait! Pretty cute, isn't she?"

Now it was the redheaded guy's turn to be guarded around me, presumably due to my age. He must have had four years on me.

"You know, you shouldn't call her that."

"_She _is Kairi, thanks," I spoke up sarcastically, crossing my arms. "Besides, buddy, I saw that smirk. Doesn't that make you feel like a dirty old man?"

That same asshole from before laughed at me and ruffled my hair. "Kairi, huh? Oh yeah...my little stepsis Larxene told me about you. Said you were a bit of a kiss-ass."

I rolled my eyes, grabbing that cigarette from that big mouth of his. "Not any more. Quit student council on Thursday. You think someone on there would do this?"

Making a grand show of twirling the cigarette in my fingers, I held it to my lips and puffed. Ugh, but that awful smell of ash choked me up. I started coughing, much to the amusement of the other dudes, even the redhead.

"My name's Axel," he told me and, taking the cig out of my mouth added, "And you're a little young to be smoking, don't you think?"

Arrogance. Major turn-off for any chick, and maybe this was why I was better off without Sora. "You think you're so tough, perv? I'm trying to get a life here. Now, will you give that thing back to me?"

Quite honestly, the cigarette was as gross as I thought it would be. An act only works for an audience.

That energetic light danced in this Axel guy's green eyes as he returned the cigarette to his brunet pain in the butt pal. "I prefer to keep these types of toys away from babies."

I scoffed, "Unbelievable. Being seventeen does count for something," before I turned on my heel to get inside the house. Maybe quitting student council had been a rash decision on my part. I mean, at the time, it was a spur of the moment idea that sounded rad. Nonetheless, the desire to build myself a new image didn't justify my smoking attempt. It was stupid, and I managed to make myself look like an idiot—a poser idiot. Masquerading as the bad girl had gotten shot down real quick. Well, that was one person I wouldn't become. And I had done well at this party so far in putting myself out there.

Hey, I was Kairi Monahan, the atypical popular girl who only got that way reluctantly, no thanks to money and looks. But, I was willing to connect myself to everyone without prejudice, without disdain. Real Kairi was a girl tomboy willing to get down and dirty, in some ways fearless and in other ways sensitive. Surely, I could relate to more people, to love them without caring about cliques or appearances. How come some people weren't getting it? However, my luck improved when a group of girls I was talking with earlier suggested that I group dance with them. Gotta admit to myself, I thought, that Seifer kid's cousin was an awesome DJ. As I danced, I talked to them some more and found out even more about them.

At one point, we invaded the cooler to get sodas and raised our cans for no apparent reason, without a toast. It was a beautiful moment, and I opened my heart to it. No one acted like they knew School Kairi at this moment. Other kids nearby said random things to us, like jokes and how cool this music was.

"Kairi, never thought you would be this cool. Not at all," Roxas, the guy I sat next to in algebra, commented to me as he gave me a high-five.

"Uh, thanks, Roxas." I grinned, tossing back my long red hair. "I think."

He chuckled and patted my shoulder. "Please. Take it as a compliment."

"Well, hell, I just wanna prove I'm not sheltered."

"Good job so far," he assured me before heading off to talk to his friends.

After this little moment of inter-clique interaction, I stepped over to the large, roomy kitchen to get a snack. Sure enough, there were bowls of food out on the counter, obviously for such a situation. I grabbed a fistful of Lay potato chips and happily snacked away. Then, I heard a drawling voice.

"Hey, Kairi, how's it been with you?"

A slightly drunk ex-boyfriend slurred out his greeting, barely balancing on his own two feet. Since I still liked Sora all right, I thought it was because he felt hurt that he decided to unceremoniously dump me. In those expressive blue eyes of his, I figured there was sincere guilt. But, alcohol can show your true colors.

"I'm fine, Sora," I told him, acting like him getting drunk was the most normal thing in the world. "How are you?"

"You suck, bitch!"

Shocked, I just mouthed, "What?"

Holding up his beer can, he staggered over toward me. "Think you can change, that you can leave me and student council...You're stuck, Kairi! You're...you're sheltered. You're pathetic. No one...no one will ever like you. You...can't be forgiven."

He laughed as hard as he could when he poured the beer all over me, and I couldn't say anything. My mouth was open, but it was out of honest to God shock.

And then, I shuddered from this disgusting smell that was all over my shampooed hair and used-to-be clean clothes. Not to mention I was _wet _and humiliated beyond belief. Why would he subject me to this? I could have welcomed him back maybe, eventually. But, now I never could, because he treated me like crap, cussed at me...My lip started quivering.

A terribly sadistic drunk, he pretended to feel sorry for me. "Aw, you gonna cry?"

"Sh—Shut up!" I screamed at him, throwing the entire plastic bowl of potato chips at him. "Shut up, you bastard! No wonder I broke up with you."

I knew that this was beyond any sort of recovery. Fleeing the scene, I soon left the whole party.

With tears blurring my vision, I sprinted over to my safe, sensible Ford Taurus and took a peek at my reflection in a side mirror. Needless to say, I looked as bad as I felt.

"Damn it!" I kicked in the direction toward my car without actually hitting it.

Shuddering and gasping in a bit of an overdone way, I clenched my hands into fists before frustratingly pulling at my drenched hair. God, the smell! It overpowered my nose worse than that one cigarette ever did. What the hell kind of sickness wormed its way into my ex's head, huh? Did I remotely deserve this disgusting aftermath from him? Totally shaken, I opened the door and crawled into the driver's seat.

I seriously thought that I would shrug this off as the crazy antics of a teenager who happened to indulge in alcohol and sucked at holding his liquor. Instead, my shoulders shaking, I cried my heart out. What heart? I was afraid that it had broken a thousand times over. My pain of being ashamed because of Sora made me not even want to think about going to school on Monday. Still strict on myself, I tried forcing myself into sticking the keys in the ignition. Turned out they clattered to the floor. I sobbed even more, knowing I was in no fit shape to drive. My stupid emotions controlled me. Oh God...Oh God...Oh God...

Another interruption caused me to look up from my hands, coming in the form of a rapping on my window. I rolled it down before seeing who it was.

Axel the redhead stared at me, only without the crooked, approving smirk this time. He stared at me all right, with a seriously concerned expression on his face. He must have smelled the beer on me, too.

"Hey, Kairi," he said quite solemnly. "You OK?"

I glared at him, wishing everyone would go away. "Fine!"

He shook his head, smiling wryly at me. "You don't sound OK to me. Nope, and it's a crappy way of hiding it too by the way. Not impressed by your acting skills."

Staring straight ahead of me now, I gritted my teeth. "_Excuse me_, but I've had enough of assholes like you for one night!"

Obviously without him receiving my permission, Axel opened the passenger door to barge in on my teen drama misery. If he was the age I thought he was, then teen drama would mean nothing to him. I was sure that he was a "sophisticated" college kid—community college. To tell him through body language that I wanted him gone, I crossed my arms _and _my legs. Stupid Kairi, guys don't understand language like that. Subtlety isn't Cro-Magnon enough. In the meantime, he stretched out his hand toward me and motioned for something.

I shook my head in disbelief, rolling my eyes. "No, you are not getting a han—"

He chuckled softly. "Now who's the perv? Just give me your keys. You're not fit to drive."

Like hell I was fit to drive! Heck yes! Even though my mindset had agreed with his two minutes ago, no one would freaking steal my keys! I would fight to the death over them, since they metaphorically represented my independence. For Axel to take them away was degrading.

I picked them up but clenched my fist over them. "You're going to have to pry them from my cold, dead hands. And who knows if you had some beer?"

His eyes rolled heavenward, too. "For Christ's sake, Kairi, I'm not gonna kidnap you. We need to have a civilized, adult discussion. Don't make me get violent."

Worried that he could have been honest about the whole violence part of his ultimatum, I gave him my keys. Why not? I wouldn't argue since I was tired, reeked with beer I didn't drink, and this close to being downright depressed. There probably wasn't much more Axel could do to ruin my night. A certain ex-boyfriend had beaten him to the punch.

"So what's up? And I'm not leaving until you tell me."

I flipped him off.

Axel shook his head. "That's not talking. That's a gesture. And a very obscene gesture that a young lady like you shouldn't use by the way."

No gesture then that time, no pretty little bird—just silence.

In an optimistic yet sardonic tone of voice, he went on to tell me, "Look, I don't want to be in this car all night, and neither do you. So, let's get this over with."

Planting my face against the glass, I asked, "Why should I tell a total stranger something that personal?"

"That's the beauty of it." He had the nerve to grin, that snake. "You tell me this, and we'll probably never see each other again. And I'll keep your secret."

He made confiding in a random stranger sound so tempting that I looked him in the eyes. A slightly hopeful smile appeared on his face. Dang it, he was cute.

Heaving a breath like I was going to dive into the ocean, I placed my hands on my knees to stop their shaking. "OK, here goes. My boyfriend and I broke up, cuz he got bored with me...translating from guy code to girl code anyway. And then he was at this party, drunk apparently. I wanted to make a fresh start and make more friends. He basically told me I was too pathetic to do that...and...And splashed beer all over...my clothes, my hair, and...Well, that's it."

Despite hiding my hands, the rest of me trembled like a leaf on a windy fall day. When Axel placed his hand on my shoulder, I didn't make a move to stop him.

"Well, sounds like your boyfriend was a total ass." He fake grinned, expecting me to laugh along with him. When I didn't, the grin faded. "He really was, though. I haven't been with all that many girls just to avoid that sort of thing—ya know, the drama. But, I figure that no guy should treat a girl like that. He may as well have slapped you in the face or punched you or knocked you upside the head. That's what it felt like...right?"

I nodded, surprised that a total cocky jerk like Axel (aka the thickest headed guy on the planet) could understand my situation. And it oddly comforted me. As I glanced at him again, I noticed his face wasn't that far off from mine.

He smiled wryly again. "As for making new friends...Believe me, Kairi, you're not someone to forget."

Wow. I blushed suddenly around him as I felt the heat from his body radiating off him. He was like fire. Tempted to touch his hair, I drew back, knowing my place. Kairi Monahan, high school student and seventeen-year-old, hands-off-the-merchandise female. Yet, I knew he would never hurt me.

He sighed, which sounded like nearly borderline groaning before he got out of my car and handed my keys back to me. Right then and there, I predicted that he would abruptly abandon me to my fate. That Axel guy, though, full of surprises, leaned against my car with a pointed, intense gaze.

"Seriously, the whole damn world should know you. See you never...I guess."

I trembled for a different reason this time, for double wow, he was turning all Hallmark sincere on me. Then, he turned back to me again with that mysterious smirk of his.

"One more thing. Sorry about Irvine being lame to you. Personally, I think you're quite mature for your age."

I called out the window impulsively, "Does that turn you on?"

Cockily, he replied, "In all the right—and wrong—ways."

Considerably calmer now, I smiled thoughtfully to myself, driving off from the party.

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Well, lo and behold, when I arrived home, I got caught. At first, Mom panicked over me being wet and smelling like beer. Sitting both of my parents down, I told them the whole story (leaving out Axel, though) about how Sora acted downright merciless to me. Mom would have grounded me if not for Dad's concerned yet overall upbeat attitude over the situation. It was one of those moments in which I was glad that his decision ruled Mom's. However, she still insisted I get home straight away after walking home from school Monday. It had been an awesome day, with me not reverting back to School Kairi and really let Real Kairi come out in a more toned-down way. People nodded and smiled at me, and I got into quite a few conversations. It was like I was in a dream sequence that went well for once.

As I adjusted my shoulder bag, I walked down the sidewalk singing softly though not so the whole world could hear. Sora being a jerk to me wouldn't ruin my life, which was what I seemed to be finally getting. Meanwhile, a truck with gigantic tires (also black with painted-on red-orange flames) slowed until it almost matched my pace. Nervously, I looked over my shoulder but was relieved to notice Axel driving.

Smirking confidently at him, I playfully warned, "You know, I could get you arrested for accosting a minor."

He stuck his tongue out at me. "The cops don't need to be on my ass for this one."

That was true. After Saturday night, I had every reason to get along with him.

I was, shockingly, grateful to him for determinedly hearing me out, even when I didn't ask to be listened to. And I definitely hadn't wanted him to get in my car either. That was rash on his part. Still...that daring rashness attracted me more to him.

"I'm a sexy teenage girl, though, appealing to dirty old men like you," I teased.

Axel groaned, slapping his steering wheel. "Don't call me old before my time, Kairi, honestly. I'm a college kid who actually has a job. I just happen to smoke on the side. Big deal. But...I'll quit for you, baby."

"Fat chance, hon. I don't believe that for a second. Now don't you have a job to go to?"

It was only a slight assumption I'd made, but Axel cursed under his breath as he sped up his admittedly nice-looking truck.

"Don't remind me. Working as bag boy sucks. See you never."

"See you ever!" I shouted as a pun to change his words around. Thinking about that, though, it came out like fantasy movie dialogue. Made me sound like Padme off _Star Wars _or something. We waved to each other right before he sped right back up to 40...with the speed limit being 30. Great, I was falling for a bad boy/speed demon. Wait...falling? As much as I liked that picture, I figured that would scare him senseless. Not to mention I'd known him for a day. What can you get out of someone in a day? Apparently, more than I thought.

* * *

A week had gone by with things seeming to look up considerably for me. I added more friends on Facebook, my good grades remained good, and Sora didn't bother me. It must have been a blissful week, yeah, because I wasn't living in reality. Then, as everything does magically in high school, word got out what went down between me and my ex. Straight from the horse's mouth—or should I say the jackass' mouth? Sora told Hayner that I threw food bowls at him in a fit of rage at the party. Blew it right out of freaking proportion! Before I knew it, I got rejected as a friend on quite a few Facebook profiles since, according to one, "Kai has an anger management prob, you dig?"

All I'd worked for in terms of making new friends and expanding my horizons blew up in my face. Some people remained cool with me, but let's just say that there were a lot less smiles and nods my way in the hallway. Someone even dropped the "c" word to embarrass me. I told my best friend Namine this issue and she gave me hope.

"All this will pass, Kai. It's frickin' high school. No one cares for too long."

Maybe not _them_, but I did. It got so bad that one night, I walked to a deserted park nearby, lay down, and looked up at the stars for answers.

I was a passionate Aries, proud of it, and despite not buying too much into astrology, I consulted the stars anyway. They just blinked at me.

"Assholes," I muttered, turning on my side to play with the grass.

New image (kind of), same problems. In the end, I was still stuck in confining high school for one more year with people talking trash behind my back. Damn Facebook, though, _everyone _on there could see that I was apparently a bad person. I wasn't a bad person.

Was I?

Curling my knees up to my chest like a kindergartner ready for naptime, I wished that I could wake up from this nightmare. Let all of it be gone. Even Axel.

Since I was too sensitive a girl, I half-expected to cry again, when I heard a low voice remark, "Yeesh, 10:30, and you're out here? Who knew we'd share the same habit?"

I turned helplessly on my side, hardly even looking at him. "What's that?"

"When in doubt, go to the park that has _nobody _around. Guess that will save me from an arrest that way."

A fake smile was on my lips from hearing our constant inside joke about our small age difference that was no big deal to me. It faded as soon as it came. How could Axel cheer me up at a time like this? I was curled up on the ground, longing to be a kid again.

For some reason, most things about me hardly escaped Axel who sat down next to my lying form. In a not sexual way, he rubbed my back gently. Well, of course, it wouldn't have been sexual. He was too good to me, too kind for someone who I got acquainted with a little while ago at a somewhat sleazy party of all places.

His hair got into his eyes as he leaned toward me. "Hey. Hey, what's wrong now?"

I sat up, sniffling to get whatever sadness I would show out of the way. "Do you ever feel like just when everything goes right in your life, something happens that ruins it all?"

Those green eyes (not as bright now) clouded. "Yeah, I get it. Definitely."

My eyes locking onto his gorgeous ones this time without a chance for me to look away, I told him, "My ex blew that confrontation between me and him out of proportion, and that rumor spread. I've gotten ditched by some kids because of it."

"Your new friends?" he asked dubiously, sitting in an upright position.

My nervous habit of hair twirling came back. "Yeah. I know this all sounds petty to you, you being a college kid and all, but this stuff...It actually, really hurts. It hurts like hell. To be humiliated like that by your own ex...God, I'm never going out with anyone again! Not if they're gonna treat me like I'm worthless! Like I'm nothing..."

I sniffled some more, but my eyes remained dry. As far as I was concerned, they had to for the sake of pride. There was no way Sora could make me cry again.

It was the action done, though, the careless, harsh action without words that stung worse if words had been used. What he had done basically said it all. It said who cares about you? It said I never liked you. It said I was cheating with random girls while you complacently thought that would never happen to you. And most of all, it said you will never find another guy after me, and I'll make sure of it. That made me shiver, not that cool, crisp spring breeze.

"Bull," he whispered.

I peered through my hair curtain. "What?"

"You heard me." The cocky grin returned with a vengeance.

"What's bull?" That redheaded temper of mine got the better of me, and I had no clue why. "You think I make this crap up? Sora—my ex—cheated on me! He smelled like other girls all the damn time, and I pretended that those smells didn't exist! I did feel worthless, I _still _feel worthless, and don't you dare tell me that's bull!"

I had stood up at this point, my fists opening and closing. I hated to take out all of my emotions on Axel, but they needed to come out. Honestly, I would have exploded if I had kept it all inside. Shame made me blush.

Staring apologetically at him, I didn't have a full minute to do that before Axel sincerely replied, "That wasn't the bull. The bull is your so-called worthlessness. You're not worthless, Kairi. Didn't I basically tell you that at the party? We might not know each other that well or that long, but I know that much. And that Sora kid was an idiot to avoid seeing how...uh, how should I put this? You're perfect, Kairi. So what if it lands me in jail?"

Oh my God. Guys normally didn't say that sort of thing. But, after early on in the week, I realized that you very rarely find that kind of maturity at high school. Sometimes, it takes a great deal of searching to reveal a gem like that. Axel was a gem, perfectly faceted and everything.

An incredible passion came over me then, making me look back on that night in my car. And after he drove while I walked, we had chatted on Facebook quite a bit. There was a relaxed air about him that turned things refreshing and everything more stress-free. He was a joking SOB and a good person at once. In short, I came to a decision. Initially, we butted heads...or at least I butted his head. But, Axel must have been a one in a million guy, the type of guy you don't let go once you meet him. So, we had stepped close to each other, our eyes drawn to each other the whole time. One thing was for sure. We had chemistry, a heated chemistry that only two fiery people could have. I liked it a lot.

I did what I had wanted to do that time in the car by playing with his red hair that I could have seen a mile away.

"You do realize you're screwed now, right?" I asked, placing my hands on his chest. He drew a breath and grasped one of my hands. His hand was way bigger than mine, warm, and covered it very gently.

"Only if I get caught. And listen," he breathed in my ear. "I was resisting you at first, because of the age thing."

"And?" I grinned.

Axel's green eyes grew tender. "I like you and to hell with everybody else's opinions."

He held me close to him, bending his head down to kiss me as though I was the world. By that, I mean with a softness you wouldn't have expected coming from a guy like him. But, if you ever got to know him, it all made sense.

As he touched my cheek, he whispered, "You are sexy. Anyone can see that."

"Perv! But, um, I think you're sexy, too."

"Knew it." Axel smirked, the dancing light returning to his eyes.

So I met this guy at a party. He was four years older than me, old enough to smoke (no age limit there) and old enough to drink. There was an arrogance about him. And yet, when I got to know him, I found out it was all an act.

His name is Axel, and he's now my boyfriend, the sweetest one any girl could want.

* * *

**A/N: Well, I'm in a rush, so I hope this fic didn't suck. But, it will remain a one-shot anyway. **

**By the way, as a quick edit, since I wasn't very wordy earlier, I just wanted to comment on the inspiration for this fic. It's kind of based on my experiences in high school with struggling with identity issues. Obviously, the rest of the story and the pairing and blah-blah-blah, total fiction. But, I've had that problem when I'm only known as the smart girl and nothing else. So maybe I was somewhat bitter writing this...? I don't know. But, it made me realize I don't need to change. Just being a bit more outgoing could work.**

**So...yeah, if you could review, that would be kind of you, and I'll very much appreciate it. If not, then not. I just did this for artistic merit...I guess, heh. XD**


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